New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
cRovws pICTIoNARY OF MUSIC.

A DICTIONARY OF MUSIC AND MUSICIANS: Edited
BY SIR GEORGE GROVE, ID. c L. Part AAiI e'o'
Macmillan 4 Co.
The present instalment brings Sir George Groves
long delayed work to the end Of the a,phaoe1
and It's completion only awaits the appearance
Of an appendix and index which are 10 NC
issued shortly" The character OF the diction-
ary has been modified in some important particu-
lars during the course Of publication, and al
though symmetry has thereby been spoiled ana
the labor greatly retarded, the changes are well
worth all that they have cost. Reviewers nave
COM lained of disproportion In the length Oh
many Of the articles. This fault has been eX-
aggerated, and at the worst IL does not deserve
tie emphasis that has been laid upon H. ino
notion with which critics are SO apt to procoeu'
that the length of an article must be determined
by the intrinsic Importance of the SUBJECT is
deluson The length of the article must depend
upon how much there is to say-upon the event
fitness of life or the completeness with which
its records have been preserved. not only upon
its value to posterity. In some OF the cases,
therefore, which have been singled out for blame
the disproportion is only apparent. But 1t is
fact that since the earlier numbers OF the dlc-
tionary were published the editor has enlarged
and strengthened the plan of the work, so that
the end is on a higher plane than the beginning
The PRINCIPAL titles no longer receive the sum
mary, superficial treatment customary in books OF
reference, but are elaborate studies by experts
Of Acknowledged authority. The later arucies
the great composers, especially, beginning WIN
Sir George Groves "Mendelssohn' Which was D
new departure in dictionary writing, are generally
exhaustive and profound, and some OF them are
more complete, exact and instructive than most
published volumes on the same subjects. 1ney
have certainly no parallel in any other work on
In
graphical collection except the new dictionary
now publishing under the editorship OF MI.
Leslie Stephen. Sir George Grove has been most
fortunate in his choice of writers for these greater
articles. The most accomplished experts are apt
to fail in such abridgments Of their knowledge;
md their general success in this instance. To-
pether with the uniform thoroughness with whlcn
they have covered every part OF their suo]ect'
from the personal gossip to the classlned ana an
notated catalogue can hardly have been ATTAINED
without the help of O great deal Of editorial tact
and watchfulness. second department. In which
the scope of the dictionary has been enlarged Is
that of musical technology. Here the work goes
far beyond definition. and includes not iew
clear and comprehensive treatlses on composiuoh'
harmony, form, STYLE execution, instruments cue.
amply illustrated and more serious and pracucal
than anything-we were going to say IN ri'ai
works. but this dictionary has no rival. IL 10
to the editors credit that as he realized the POSI-
blity of doing something better than ne began
10 do he rose to the opportunity ana ooiuE
discarded bis own proceedings. When revise"
edition of the work is made, the irregularities
resulting from this development of the scheme
will he easily removed.
The longest article in the present part Is inc
biography of Weber, to which DIR. Philip Spitta
interesting
ratve, full of minute and agreeable detail. is
well fortified with references which show that
the author has made close. independent study Oh
his subject He paints an attractive but not
over colored portrait of the composer and presents
a very striking account of career which was In
some respects so romantic and picturesque that IL
seems like an anachronism. A systematic crlti-
cism of Webers principal works follows, with
definition of his place and characteristics as a
composer and finally we have full catalogue OF
his works. DR.. Spitta possesses two highly I'M
portant critical equipments which many crlucs
seem to think that they do without, namely,
sympathy and sensibility; and 1t is impossible
for an intelligent lover of music to read his
comments upon Weber without catching some Of
his delightful fervor. There may be dissent from
few Of his judgments; it may be thought that
he Overrates the influence Of Weber as compared
Tor instance, With that OF DeetDONcn, anu U1dJ us
estimate Of "Euryanthe" dramaticomuscal
work is too high; but these matters of
opinion not susceptible Of q positive decision.
His statement that Weber's Masses "are probably
never heard except in the Hofl1irche Of Dresden.
and rarely there" and that they "have little
prospect of revival" must be taken with qualif-
cations. One at least Of Weber's two masses,
with organ instead Of the original orchestral &C
compartment, is standard work in the Catholic
churches Of the country, and we believe that it
is familiar in England also. The technical and
historical articles in Part XXI include welsh
Music" with numerous illustrations, working \
OUT wine Band" and a curious little pal er
on Yankee Doodle" Among other American
titles which receive due notice are George L.
Whiting, Emma Nevada (Wixom), Miss Van Zandt
and Carl Zerrahn. slight sketch of the violinist
August Wilhelmj wrongly calls him August Will
hclmi. The appearance of a notice of the Catholic
Gregoran Association under the heading West
Minister which forms no part Of the name Of the
society, is rather odd. The article seems to have
been forgotten at the proper time for it, and there
is no better excuse for putting 1t under "Wcst-
Minister where the most ingenious searcher would
never think of looking for ii, than that it is
under the patronage Of Cardinal Manning. II it
had been saved for the supplement there would
have been some chance Of an inquirer finding 1t.